Employees of publishing giant Condé Nast are forming a union.
More than 500 editorial, video and production staff from the publishing giant’s brands have asked management to recognize the union, which includes staff from Condé Nast Entertainment, Vanity Fair, Vogue, GQ, Bon Appétit, Glamour, Architectural Digest and other Condé brands.
The employees requested the NewsGuild of New York as their collective bargaining representative. The NewsGuild already represents staff at The New Yorker, Wired, Ars Technica and Pitchfork, and the company recognizes those unions. The new drive, however, is the largest one yet, and once certified will be the largest new unit in recent NewsGuild history.
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In their letter for recognition, the employees call to attention low pay, hiring practices, career-development issues and lack of diversity, among other things.
“The current workplace culture at Condé Nast allows many people of color and women to be consistently silenced by management. It’s no longer enough to play-act a commitment to diversity, or apply bandaid solutions to issues of discrimination,” said Epicurious social media staffer Kaylee Hammonds in a statement. ”We’re unionizing today across the company so that this hypocrisy that currently thrives at Condé Nast can be remedied.”
“Workers at Condé Nast have organized hundreds of their colleagues with one shared goal: to raise standards and fight for better working terms and conditions,” says Susan DeCarava, president of The NewsGuild of New York. “This is an opportunity for Condé Nast management to work more collaboratively with employees and be held accountable in addressing long-standing concerns about equity, inclusion, fairness and diversity. I’m excited to welcome these workers into the Guild and proud to join them in their fight to improve their workplace.”
